No confidence vote against senior councillor in school standards row

The action against Councillor Myfanwy Alexander follows a scathing Estyn report on the council's education services.

The motion, put forward by the Liberal Democrat-Green group is part of the political storm is brewing at Llandrindod’s county hall as leader Councillor Rosemarie Harris looks to keep the Independent/Conservative coalition afloat.

Put forward by Liberal Democrat and Green group leader Councillor James Gibson-Watt and Councillor Jackie Charlton , it says: “That this council has no confidence in the current Portfolio Holder for Learning and Welsh Language to lead the education service to address and remedy the weakness identified in the July 2019 Estyn Report into Powys County Council.”

Behind the scenes councillors have been meeting to discuss the situation, which could see the Independent/Conservative administration torn asunder if no solution is found.

Sources at county hall have said that one way around the problem would be to expand the number of portfolio holders from eight to 10.

This would give Councillor Harris the leeway to offer Councillor Alexander another portfolio and also keep the balance of the cabinet favouring the larger independent group.

Considering

Councillor Harris said: “I’m considering expanding the cabinet to 10.

“I have actually been considering it for the last year as some of them don’t fit together.

“They also don’t work correctly with all the directorates so each cabinet member is dealing with lots of different officers and it needs to be squared.

“There are other reasons, we have the Mid Wales Growth Deal coming on stream and will need to take more staff to deal with that.”

On Councillor Alexander, Councillor Harris said: “I won’t be removing her from the cabinet.”

Councillor Alexander has been asked for a comment – but has not responded.